No Clocks for the Ferry

Not even the Recovery Act can help WSF commuters know the time.

Washington State Ferries recently snagged a piece of the Recovery Act to the tune of $3.2 million, thanks to Sen. Patty Murray, who's been known to go to the mat for the rudderless ferry service. These funds are earmarked for vessel preservation and renovation, according to a press release from Murray's office, and are intended to help "provide reliable and responsible ferry service to customers." The money cannot, however, go to paying for a working timepiece at the Colman Dock in downtown Seattle. That will have to wait. Customers recently complained to WSF that they were missing their ferries because of inaccurate clocks at Colman, the system's busiest terminal. WSF's response: remove all clocks. "We are looking into ways to improve the synchronization of the clocks at Colman Dock and until that is determined, the clocks have been taken down," WSF spokesperson Marta Coursey confirmed to Seattle Weekly last week. The Recovery Act funds won't help riders know when their boat's leaving. "These funds need to go toward the specified purpose, in this case vessel-preservation activities," says a spokesperson for Sen. Murray. So what time has the reliable skipper got on his Casio? Your guess is as good as ours.